Sarabia
A Spanish surname that likely began as a place-based name, probably referring to someone from a locality called Sarabia.
The #4,082 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,508 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sarabia is a Spanish surname most plausibly derived from a place name, a common pattern in Iberian surnames. The name likely identified someone who came from a town, estate, or region called Sarabia. The historical excerpts you provided do not explain the root of the place-name itself, so its deeper literal meaning remains uncertain here.
History
The surname is documented in Spanish genealogical and regional lists by the 19th and early 20th centuries, showing it was already established in Spain. It also appears in later historical discussion of Spanish lineages and remains in use today, including in the Americas through migration. The name is not among the most common Spanish surnames, but it is clearly long-established.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because the accent is not usually written in surname form, Sarabia is normally spelled the same in both Spain and Latin America, even though the pronunciation stays four syllables.
From the historical record
“Salas, Salces, Saldaña, Sales, Salmean, Salmerón, Samaniego, Sámos, Sanahuja, Sandoval, Sangroniz, Sans, Santin, Sanz, Sanzo, Sarabia, Sariñena, Saro, Sarracín, Sarria, Secall, Sedaño, Segovia, Segu- ra, Seijas, Seijo, Sejalbo i, Selaya, Selgas, Sel- ma, Selva, Senmanat, Sepúlveda, Serántes, Serón, Serveto, Serra…”
— Ensayo histórico etimológico filológico sobre los apellidos castellanos